Reopening of Building B of the University of Caen

The University of Caen occupies a special place in the history of French universities. Founded in the 15th century, it is one of the oldest universities. Completely destroyed during the Second World War in 1944, its reconstruction, which took almost 10 years, was an opportunity to rethink its organization. Thus, Henry Bernard, its urban architect, had decided to rebuild a monumental university on the model of Anglo-Saxon “campuses”. This daring bet symbolized the rebirth of the Norman city. 64 years later, the renovation of building B, listed as a historical monument since 1962, is a new stage in the evolution of the University of Caen. The restoration of building B which has just been completed, after 6 years of work and a budget of 29 million euros, offers students optimal learning conditions thanks to numerous educational innovations and a living environment of quality, while implementing technological innovations. This complete renovation of Building B, the first major stage in the renovations of Campus 1, bears witness to the University of Caen's strategy in terms of forward-looking property management: connected buildings, energy efficient, vectors of student life and animation and open to new ways of teaching in relation to the use of digital technology.

For Lamri Adoui, president of the University of Caen Normandy: “The complete renovation of building B is a summary of the university's ecological and technical ambitions in terms of management of its real estate assets and bears witness to the permanence of this innovative vision of the famous architect, Henri Bernard. A very ambitious project, this renovation aims at both thermal excellence and the modularity of spaces in a listed heritage. »

History: Like the Phoenix, the University of Caen is rising from its ashes

Building B on campus 1, a listed historic monument, was designed after the Second World War by the great architect Henri Bernard as part of the reconstruction of the city center of Caen after its destruction during the Battle of Normandy. Completed in 1967 and having undergone multiple modifications, the building was in poor condition and required a complete renovation to regain its original design and be in phase with contemporary uses.

Work between tradition and innovation

Closed between 2016 and 2022, building B was completely emptied to keep only the primary structure. In agreement with the architects of the Buildings of France and according to the initial project of Henri Bernard, modifications of the facades were operated in order to open the building on the campus and on the city, to bring in more natural light and to facilitate its circulation.

The operation lasted 6 years during which up to 25 state bodies worked on the site. The total budget, excluding equipment, is around €29 million provided by the University of Caen, the Normandy Region, the Calvados department and the recovery plan (France Relance). Despite the "surprises" such as the presence of asbestos which required complete asbestos removal (15.000 m2) and the delays generated by the health crisis, the initial schedule was respected. Building B is ready for the start of the school year in September 2022 thanks, in particular, to the mastery of BIM technology (building data modelling) by the University teams.

Technological innovation...

In order to meet the university's ambition in terms of sustainable development, the building incorporates current eco-responsible requirements. Thus, by choosing the installation of high-performance windows combined with a wood-gas biomass boiler, the university anticipates the tightening of regulations in terms of energy consumption. In addition, the use of biosourced materials was favored by the architect; thus, the joinery (shelves, chairs) are made of beech, a local wood. In addition, a rainwater recovery system provides a significant share of the building's consumption.

...To pedagogical innovations

Pedagogical innovation is at the heart of the building's restoration. This is why the CEMU team, the university's pedagogical support service which accompanies teachers in their pedagogical approach and the integration of digital technology into their teaching, will take up residence on the 3rd floor of the building. B. From now on, teachers can use all the digital tools at their disposal and count on the CEMU's pedagogical engineers to support them in their pedagogical approach, in particular in the integration of digital technology into their teaching.

In order to put the students in the best learning conditions, a set of 18 connected work rooms with a capacity of 8 and 12 people facilitating collaborative work around a screen are distributed in the building. This allows students to meet, discuss and settle down. The idea is to promote collaborative work in project mode.

The classrooms integrate all digital tools (network sockets, WiFi) and audiovisual equipment (video projectors, screens, headsets, etc.). Some classrooms are modular and can, if necessary, become large examination rooms thanks to a set of movable partitions, specially designed to provide adequate sound insulation when separating the rooms.

The building even has its own professional-grade video recording set and audio studio.